51996AC1398

Opinion of the Economic and Social Committee on the 'Proposal for a Council decision amending Council Decision 93/383/EEC of 14 June 1993 on reference laboratories for the monitoring of marine biotoxins` (97/C 66/15)

On 17 October 1996 the Council decided to consult the Economic and Social Committee, under Articles 43 and 198 of the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the above-mentioned proposal.

The Section for Agriculture and Fisheries, which was responsible for preparing the Committee's work on the subject, adopted the following opinion on 5 November 1996. The rapporteur was Staffan Nilsson.

At its 340th Plenary Session on 27 and 28 November 1996 (meeting of 27 November 1996) the Economic and Social Committee adopted the following opinion by 102 votes to two, with one abstention.

1. Background

1.1. Council Directives 91/492/EEC and 91/493/EEC lay down the health conditions for the production and marketing of live bivalve molluscs and fishery products, in particular as regards the monitoring of marine biotoxins.

Under the terms of Council Decision 93/383/EEC each Member State must designate a national reference laboratory to monitor implementation of the provisions and coordinate the findings of the analyses. An annex to the decision contains a list of the reference laboratories designated by each Member State.

2. The Commission proposal

2.1. The United Kingdom has informed the Commission that owing to changed circumstances, it intends to designate a new national reference laboratory. The Commission proposes to amend Council Decision 93/383/EEC accordingly.

2.2. At the same time the Commission proposes to amend Articles 5 and 6 of the decision, to provide for any future revision of the annex following notification from a Member State.

3. Comments

3.1. The Committee endorses the Commission proposal to amend the annex to Council decision 93/383/EEC in accordance with the United Kingdom's designation of a new reference laboratory.

3.2. The Committee also endorses the amendments designed to enable the Commission to revise the annex, following notification from a Member State, without the need for a Council decision. This proposal is in keeping with the process of simplification of EU legislation and with the subsidiarity principle which must underpin cooperation.

Brussels, 27 November 1996.

The President of the Economic and Social Committee

Tom JENKINS